Thursday, May 1, 2014

This semester besides Senior Seminar and Portfolio I am taking the course Media Career Development. This is a one credit course and I think a very important one for me at this time. Designing a resume is a big part of the class. However, what I am learning between the Senior Seminar and Media career is that one size resume does not fit all. To help me land the job in the animation world my resume needs to reflect my skills as an animator and it needs to be creative.

US World and News Report’s article “Crafting a Tailor-Made Resume To Fit Your Field”, had some advice. The article’s writer Cynthia Washicko, suggests that a resume should be tailor made to the job that you are seeking. With the stacks of resumes that most jobs receive, getting yours noticed is crucial. She also emphasizes the importance of flexibility. Perhaps a different style resume should be crafted for a different type of job description. Washicko quotes August Cohen, owner of the resume and coaching service, Gethiredstayhired. Cohen states that creative resumes should be focused on projects, including achievements in projects. He also suggests that attention to color and to personal logo will help distinguish you among other applicants.

For me I had to decide whether or not I wanted an infographic resume. I was not sure if they were appropriate or not. After reading the US News and World Report article “The 411 on Infographic Resumes”, I decided to design an resu-graphic, as they call it in the article. The writer of the article Jada Graves points out that the resu-graphic is a good way to stand out however there are few things that need to be considered, mainly, it needs to be logical and well done. The reader of the resume must be able to understand what’s going on within the first 15 seconds.

She gives a few tips:

1. Be serious. Although there are many free resume prototypes to follow on the internet, Graves advises in having the resume done professionally.

2. Be patient-creating a resume takes time, typically at least 5 days.

3. Be simple-”Bells and whistles can be bothersome”

4. Be Flexible -not all infographic resumes work for all job descriptions.